Focus on the Family Praises Bush's Pro-Child Policy

Focus on the Family
Friday, 1 February 2002

New Federal Regulation to Provide Improved Health Care to Mothers and Unborn Children

The Bush Administration issued a policy yesterday recognizing fetuses as unborn children deserving of special protection and health care benefits. The new regulation in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) will expand health care benefits, which will primarily include prenatal care and delivery services, to include developing children in the womb. Focus on the Family Bioethics Analyst, Carrie Gordon Earll, released the following statement in response:

"The Bush policy changes the definition of 'child' to include the unborn, reaffirming the value of life in the womb. The new policy is a logical step in welcoming unborn children into the world. Prenatal care is key to delivering a healthy baby. It's good for both mother and child," said Earll. "This recommended policy change is a tangible demonstration of the pro-life position; it puts feet to the president's words."

Not surprisingly, some abortion advocates are criticizing the policy as an attempt to extend legal rights to the unborn, something Earll says exposes the extremes that the pro-abortion movement will go to in order to promote their true social agenda.

"Abortion advocates claim to support a woman's choice. If so, this regulation is consistent with the 'pro-choice' view that if a woman wants her baby, the human entity in her womb qualifies as an unborn child. To argue against this increased medical benefit is to be truly pro-abortion as critics are willing to defend their political position to the detriment of pregnant women who cannot afford care otherwise," Earll said.

The new policy will be published in the Federal Register, followed by a public comment period.

For more information, or to contact Focus on the Family, see their website at: www.family.org